Fragile Lies
by Ana Xpert
Summary: Short Fic - 3 chapter story - Fifteen years after the Antarctica episode, his daughter terribly wants to meet him. romce/angst/drama Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I guess now Disney does! Or is it still Marvel? Never mind! Please don't sue me…

What to expect: This is a 3 chapter story. The Antarctica episode happened. Fifteen years later, his daughter longs to finally meet him. Angst/ Romance / Drama

This is my second story. Tee hee! I wanted so badly to write something more angst charged, but couldn't possibly do that in my other story Into The Wild (the apple of my eye he he) so I'm releasing all the angst and drama in this one. I hope someone out there will enjoy reading it. I know it's a short one, but I'd appreciate it if you'd review anyway. Reviews make my day.

Chapter 1 – Birthday Party

One more year of her sad young life, another birthday party, same old story. Surrounded by mutants, some her own age, but most, were older than her: her mother and her friends who were also her tutors in the institution she lived in since she was born, she blew fifteen candles and smiled shyly. When in reality, what she felt like doing was crying. Her mother would pretend with a smile everything was just as it was supposed to be. But it was not. It had never been. He was missing, the father she knew existed. Despite everyone telling her he was dead, long gone, something inside told her, they were lies, or at least, uninformed assumptions.

Ever since she could remember, her mom would always have those sad eyes and distant gaze. She thought her mom was a pretty woman but the emptiness in her soul would steal some of her original grace. The beauty of her true smile was a privilege only her daughter knew and was reserved only for very few occasions. As much as they lived surrounded by people who genuinely loved and cared about both of them, Rogue still couldn't manage to smile at them. Something told the fifteen-year-old girl that was because they knew something she, in all her ingenuity, didn't. They knew why her mother was such an introspective person and understood her pain and respected her ways. She certainly had demons in her head, anyone who met Rogue could tell.

Though she knew her mother loved her deeply, she always seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and, therefore, her absence was hugely felt. It was like she was never there for her, because something else was tormenting her and, thus, preventing her from being the mother her daughter needed her to be.

A person of few words, she was. The few times they engaged in meaningful, heartfelt conversation, she would try and ask her about her father. 'Come on, Mom! You gotta tell me! Who is he? What's his name? Do I look like him? You gotta have a picture of him somewhere.' She remembered asking her once. The answer she got that time was her mom turning her back to her and sobbing heavily. That was evidence enough that whatever it was that made her mom so sad, it was related to her father. Consequently, related to her too. Once, a strange blue woman came visiting the mansion and gasped at seeing her.

"Oh My God! She has his eyes!"

She must have been nine years old when that happened, but she never forgot it. Those words kept ringing in her head. She had her father's eyes and she'd never seen anyone with eyes quite like hers. 'A unique mutation sign.' Dr. McCoy, or Uncle Hank, as he let her call him, once said. Not so unique, it seemed. Because her father had the same eyes, she knew it. 'Did Uncle Hank not know my father?' She pondered.

Having to deal with the early signs of her mutation was confusing and heart-wrenching for her as it was for any teenage mutant. But on top of it all, she still had to deal with the burden of having a zombie like mother and a ghost of a father. So many unanswered questions… But she was determined to get some answers today. 'Maybe in the light of my birthday, Auntie ´Ro will give me some insight.'

"Hey, Auntie." The girl approached the beautiful white-haired woman as they started the post-party clean up.

"What is it, Juliette? I know you very well to know that your mind was wondering somewhere else during the whole party."

"You're right, Auntie and I wanted to talk to you about that. And don't even try sending me off to my mom, I've tried talking to her about it several times and she didn't help me at all… Can we go somewhere quiet where people won't hear us?"

"Sure, child. Let's go to my room. Is it something about boys? I can definitely picture Rogue not being able to talk to you about that."

"I wish!"

When they got to Ororo's room, the young girl sat cross legged in the bed. Silent tears rolled down her angelic face. Her waist length straight brown hair covered most of her body now. When she lifted her gaze and stared into Ororo's eyes, it made her shiver. Her eyes were his eyes; remorse filled her whole being. How could they all have agreed to that? Particularly her whom he helped when she'd needed.

"Auntie, I'm crying… it's because of my father."

"Your father, child? What about him? Haven't we all told you a million times he's dead? So that's why your mom couldn't help you! I don't believe you keep pressing her with these questions. You are big enough to understand now."

"Understand? What is there for me to understand? I know nothing about him! You all never told me how he died. If he's dead, I want to visit his grave, then."

"His body was never found, dear."

"Mmm, finally some piece of information. No one had ever told me that. Auntie, something in my heart tells me he's out there somewhere. I want answers. I have gone through all my mom's stuff and never found any clue that would take me to him."

"Oh, Juliette, are you that obsessed about it? Why do you want to know things that would only cause you more anguish and pain? Some things are better left unsaid."

"I want to meet him, that's all. Is he such a bad person that wouldn't be happy to see his daughter?"

"Ok, I'm telling you what I know. There was a fall out between your father and the X-men in Antarctica. Your mom… she loved him… but she was so confused about what she'd learned about him that she left him there to die, as punishment, just like the rest of us. We all went along with that. When she came back to her senses, she went back to Antarctica and looked for him everywhere. She lived miserably for about two months wandering around, searching for him. She never found any trace of him there. She then went to New Orleans, where he's from, and looked for him there for a while, but then she learned she was pregnant with you and came back to the mansion."

"Wow! That's a lot of information, auntie. In a few minutes, you told me so much. How did you all manage not to tell me this for so many years?"

"I guess as a child you would not understand that."

"I still don't. Why would you leave him to die?" Storm didn't answer. "So he didn't know about me…"

"No, I believe he didn't. Rogue and him, they had a long on and off relationship. It was clear they loved each other ever since they met. But, remember how your mom couldn't touch you until you were about seven, eight years old? She couldn't control her powers. So, they only consummated their love a month before Antarctica. They were off on a mission and they were rendered powerless for a few days and that's when they conceived you."

"Oh! This is so sad. Poor mom…"

"That's precisely why I shouldn't be telling you any of this."

"I know she probably made you all swear to God you wouldn't be telling me this, auntie. I really appreciate that you did so. Thank you. Thank you so much. But can I ask you one last question? Pleeease!"

Storm hesitated for a while, but the girl's pleading eyes simply wouldn't let her refuse to attend to her supplication. "OK."

"What's my father's name?"

"Le Beau, Remy Le Beau. He's a Cajun… was always speaking French words mixed up with his accented English. That's why your mom gave you a French name."

"Thanks, auntie." She kissed Storm sweetly on her cheek and ran out of her room.

That was more than she could have hoped for. She now had some information that could eventually lead her to her father.

'Remy, his name was Remy.' She thought happily. "I won't rest until I find you, Mr. Le Beau!" She whispered to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Fragile Lies – Chapter 2

Life had never been the same after being left and despised by those he loved. Sure, he went back to his roots and found refuge in the Thieves Guild. But having to swallow his pride hadn't been an easy task, enduring the sermons of his father and following his orders again. Nevertheless, he was determined to keep living, always keep living, a miserable life, yes, but what mattered is that he was still alive.

Not one single day passed him by without him thinking of the beautiful southern belle. She had stolen his heart forever. Even after the deception, the betrayal, after all he'd suffered, he never stopped loving her.

Bella Donna had unsuccessfully tried to force her way back into his life, but he preferred to be alone. Although he could have used her as a rebound lover, he chose not to. Even though he was grateful for her having taken care of him when he came back battered and broken hearted, that was about all he felt for her, thankfulness. He'd stayed at her place for about two months until he was finally fit to see to his father. Nothing happened between them during that time, despite her advances, all because his heart still belonged to that certain someone else.

On his bedside table, he still kept an old picture frame with a photo of Rogue and him together. That was a whole lifetime ago when they were so very young and happiness used to shine through their eyes. The prospect of a life together seemed so easy, so attainable. How could it all have gone so terribly wrong? How could she have done that to him? Had she never loved him at all?

Countless times that same frame had been violently thrown at the window, at the wall, at the mirror... repeatedly had her smiling face overlooked him having sex with some forgettable girl on his bed. But, most times, he would look at her pretty face, frame on one hand and a bottle of vodka on the other and cry all night long. After drinking his sadness and shattered dreams, he would pass out alone on the floor and the frame would fall to the ground as he lost consciousness.

That picture and his memories were all that he had left of her.

Once, he saw her on TV, it was a quick shot of her, but he was sure it was her. She was with the other X-Men. They were disguised in the middle of a crowd, watching Charles Xavier's speech on a congress about mutants and their interaction with the rest of humanity. She appeared on screen for less than a second, but for him, it seemed like eternity. She looked exactly the same to him. That had been seven years ago, eight years after the last time he'd seen her. He still remembered the last words she said to him: "You're honest with the people you love, Gambit. Otherwise, it's a gamble."

She was right, he gambled and lost everything.

He considered going to the mansion several times, the idea kept haunting him like a little devil nudging him, tempting him into digging the hole he was in even deeper. Actually, he could in fact go there and demand to see her. He had nothing to say to anyone else, he didn't want to fight or ask for forgiveness, he wanted nothing but to see her. See if her lovely green eyes still sparkled when she saw him. But no matter how many times he thought about that, in the end, he would always decide against it.

X X X X

Would she ever be able to forgive herself? Probably not. She had left him to die, the love of her life, the father of her daughter, the only man that had ever wanted to come close to her and be a part of her life when she couldn't touch anyone at all. Had he not proven to be a good man? Had he not been a good team member and a loyal friend? Remorse consumed what was left of her. Why did they all have to go and judge him based solely on a single mistake. Everybody made mistakes in their lives, true, his was huge and it had cost many lives, but who were they to say they had never made a mistake?

Nevertheless, she was paying her fair share of the price for having acted so heartlessly. She had to be cut open so that their daughter could be born, and had to watch someone else feed her baby and she would only care for her wearing those feeling-depriving gloves, because, incompetent as she was, she couldn't touch her. Worse still, she had to endure a lifetime looking at her daughter, the person she loved most in the entire world, and seeing him in her eyes. Her eyes would never allow her to forget. What's more, lately the girl had become obsessed with him. Juliette desperately wanted to meet her father. And that broke her heart into a million pieces because she knew that couldn't be because he was dead.

Of that she was sure for she had looked for him everywhere. She even went to New Orleans after him to no avail. After wondering around the area for two weeks, she gave in and arranged to meet with his wife, or widow, Bella Donna. She knew her from some time ago when she accompanied him to help his brother and Bella Donna herself. Desperate as she was to find Remy, and feeling helpless after not finding him in Antarctica, she felt Bella Donna was the last chance she had to learn what had happened to him.

"You have some nerve to come here, missy."

"I didn't know where else to go. Do you have any news about Remy?"

"Well, I would expect you to know. He hasn't contacted me personally in a very long time and now, I've heard his father is very concerned because he hasn't heard from Remy in about four months. What did you X-Men do to him?"

"I… we… it's a long story, just tell his father I'm sorry. But, I still have hope that Remy will show up here some day. I refuse to believe that… he's… never mind…"

"Was this all you had to say? That you're sorry? Sorry for what? If you don't want to tell me what you did to him, I don't care, that's fine. But, my question is, will you leave New Orleans now? There's nothing here for you to find. Besides, you are being noticed here, you know? I don't think it's safe for you to stay any longer."

"Well, yes, I'll be returning to New York tomorrow."

"Good! It's just that if people put two and two together… I mean, you going around, asking questions about Remy, this is not good for his family business either."

"Oh! I see… well, there's one thing else I'd like to ask you. I'll ask you this as a woman. Please, forget all the animosity there's between us. This is very important. If you ever loved him, please do me a favor in the name of that love."

"What could you possibly want from me?"

"If Remy ever comes back here, would you tell him that… I… I… - a tear escaped her – I'm expecting… I'm expecting his child."

"But… you… you couldn't touch. How far along are you?"

"Well, long story short, I had temporarily lost my powers, so… I've just realized I'm pregnant, I've been too blind to see things straight. I guess I must be three months pregnant because it's been three months since, you know... Would tell him that?"

"Definitely, of course I will, if I have the chance. This is something important, I'm sure he'd kill me if I hid something like that from him. You may go at peace and trust me, I'll tell him if he ever comes by."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye, Rogue and… good luck with your baby."

"Thanks."

As he never came looking for her or their daughter, she was certain that he either never came back to New Orleans in fifteen years which she found extremely improbable or he was dead. Knowing about a pregnancy, there was surely no way he wouldn't come back, even if it was just to see the child.

Determined not to maintain false hopes and suffer even more because of that, heart-wrenching as it was, she simply chose to believe he was dead.

X X X X

Naively, first thing she did was look his last name up in the phone listings. Silly her! Obviously he and all of his family were not listed there. Secondly, she tried hacking into the cerebro files but failed to find anything about him there. Finally, she googled his name. Nothing. How odd! Maybe he was dead indeed. She tried his last name only which proved to be a good idea as it showed some results, all of them referring to a so-called Thieves Guild. She gasped in surprise.

"My God! Can it be that my father is a thief? Well, maybe he really is a bad person."

The stories she found on a website about the Guild were either referred to as rumors or the website claimed a citation was needed to back that information presented as true. Even so, two names caught her attention, Jean-Luc Le Beau and Mercy Le Beau. They had to know their father, right?

But it all rang a bell when she remembered what Storm had told her earlier, her father was a Cajun. The Thieves Guild was supposedly active in New Orleans. And she knew Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana. New Orleans being Louisiana's largest city, this had to be it. The pieces of the puzzle were finally being put together.

She got a duffle bag from her wardrobe and started filling it up with all things she thought she would need. Silently she got into her mother's room, opened her wardrobe and got a blouse, a pair of nice black shoes and black pants. She would need them to look older as her teen clothes wouldn't help her a lot with that and she could not afford to be stopped by the police on her way to New Orleans. Not being able to present a valid driving license could ultimately eliminate all her chances of ever getting there. Her mother was about the same size as her, she was confident it would do the trick.

Now all she had to do was to wait. Wait until the mansion was quiet and everyone was asleep. She had waited her whole life for that moment, the moment she finally took matters into her hands and did something to see her father, a couple of hours wouldn't kill her.

Finally, at about half past midnight, she descended the stairs, wearing her mother's clothes and some make up. After stealing Scott's car keys, she headed to the garage. A long long drive was ahead of her.

X X X X

Most of the mansion residents were gathered around the table when they heard a distinctive cry from upstairs. A minute later, Rogue showed up, holding a piece of paper in her trembling hands, she cried uncontrollably, hardly able to speak, she said between sobs.

"She's gone. My baby is gone. She said she's going to look for him…"

"Oh My God!" Storm gasped and let the mug she was holding drop to the floor. The smashing sound added graveness and despair to that moment. "This is all my fault. I gave in to her insistence and told her about him yesterday."

"What? What did you tell her, Ororo? How could you do this?" Rogue asked accusingly.

"Calm down, Rogue." Scott said. "Storm, did you say anything like where he was from? Or where he got… lost?"

"I did say where he was stranded, and also that he was a Cajun."

"Ok, so she knows about Antarctica. If she's a clever girl, and I know she is, she wouldn't go to Antarctica expecting to find him there after all this time, of course. She'd go to Louisiana, probably to New Orleans. We can still do some damage control and intercept her. She must be still on her way." Scott suggested.

"I say we let the girl do what she gotta do. She wants to find herself by finding her father. I know the girl, she will be so mad if we prevent her from doing the one thing she decided and needed to do on her own. She might even rebel against us all." Logan said.

"I agree with Logan. Besides, her powers have already kicked in and with the training she's received since she was eleven, I'm sure she can take good care of herself." Hank was referring to the ability she had with kinetic energy. Like her father, she uses the bio-kinetic energy her body produces. However, the way she liberates the energy is different from his. Kinetic energy emanates from the palm of her hands as she wishes and she can use it against an opponent, attacking him from a distance with a beam of energy.

"I do not believe you are actually considering the possibility of sitting here and waiting until she hurts herself or someone else. We have to go after her." Storm intervened.

By now, Rogue was having a nervous breakdown. Kitty tried to comfort her. All of a sudden, she regained focus.

Standing up, she said: "I will go after her. And I don't want anyone to follow me. This is my responsibility and no one else's. I'll deal with it on my own."

The note she was holding fell to the floor.

*

_Mom, _

_I love you very much. I hope you will forgive me for that one day, but I have to look for my father. I think that he's alive, in my heart, I feel he's alive. _

_No matter what happens, I have to see him. And something tells me, I will find him. _

_Don't be afraid, mom. Trust me and don't forget, I love you… but I also love him. _

_*_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 –

After driving relentlessly for hours in a row, she felt exhausted but the love she felt for that unknown man didn't let her rest. She simply had to keep going.

It would take her about twenty hours to drive there. During the excruciating long journey, trying to entertain herself, she played various reunion sceneries in her mind. She imagined how he would react to her story. Obviously, for all of the different stories she made up in her childish dreams, there was inevitably a happy ending. Sometimes he'd act surprised, at other times he would cry happy tears or would give her a bear hug and say he didn't know her yet but already loved his newly found daughter… Also, she imagined his appearance. His eyes, she knew what to expect. But as for the rest of him, she let her imagination run wild.

In Scott's fast car, she felt free and confident she was running towards happiness. Thankfully it had been Logan not Scott or Rogue who taught her how to drive at the tender and imprudent age of thirteen. It drove her mother mad when, in a winter vacation trip all the X-men took to Canada, she saw her arrive back to their hotel speeding with Logan at the passenger's seat. Rogue had spent the best part of that month bitching about that. The girl chuckled at those memories.

Ten hours of the amazingly extensive journey were gone already. So far she'd stopped twice for fueling, snacks and coffee. A lot of the latter, in fact, so that she wouldn't sleep, she had to keep driving. Having waited all her life to meet her dad, sleeping now seemed foolish, unnecessary and extremely mission-endangering.

On her third break for coffee, toilet and food, six hours later, she decided to turn on her cell phone just to check how mad at her Rogue was. A millions calls from her and voice mails but one single text message. 'I might as well read it, as it's only one.' She decided.

Surprisingly enough, the message contained only one line, it was an address. Just when she was reading it, a bleep went off, another message.

_My angel, this is the bar where your father and uncle used to hang out in New Orleans. __I'm your mother, you should have trusted me with my judgment. But if you feel he's alive, I'm going to help you search for him. Meet me there tonight at 10 pm_.

Wow! That had to be another person. Has she been abducted or something? It couldn't have been her mother who had sent that message. Despite her being ridiculously imprudent, careless and stubborn, her mom was being nice to her. What could possibly have changed her mind?

The truth was her mother's love for her was as big as the ocean. Rogue swallowed all her pride and shame to help her daughter. Even though, she truly believed he was dead, she had to give Juliette the opportunity of learning the truth, and finding it out for herself. Rogue decided that if that was what it took for her girl to finally come to terms with the reality of having a dead father, so be it.

The fifteen-year-old girl read both messages again, as if to believe she hadn't dreamt it all, and sighed deeply in relief. There was no doubt that Rogue had just given her the best presents ever: her help, transparency, understanding and, best of all, useful information.

In all her ingenuity, Juliette had clearly not thought things through carefully. First, driving from New York to New Orleans had been a very bad idea. It was long as life and exhausting. Not to mention the risk of being caught by the police. Second, had she really believed it would be easy finding someone she had never seen before in a city the size of New Orleans? Had she planned to go knocking on each door until she found a red eyed man? Apparently, she had. Or maybe, she just didn't give it a minute's thought to any of it and decided to go there impulsively. Yes, the latter seems to be the best guess.

Moreover, going around places asking if people knew a certain Remy Le Beau or perhaps a Jean-Luc or Mercy Le Beau unsurprisingly seemed to be a good enough plan for her. Maybe walking around flashing her red pupils in dark eyes would do the trick, someone would come to her and say 'Hey, I know someone who has eyes exactly like yours!'

Coldly analyzing all the facts and her stupid plan on the bright light of the day made her realize just how absurd it was. She felt so profoundly thankful that her mother was on her side now.

'Oh Mom, I love you so much. You are the best and I'm even sorry I'm putting you through all this all over again.' She thought to herself. 'But _we_ have to do this.'

X X X X

Remy's features must have lodged themselves on the retina of her inner eye because despite the fact she hadn't seen him in over fifteen years a picture of him flashed clearly in her mind. She remembered his irresistible charm and it made her heart race in her chest. His knockout smile, his gallant ways… His red eyes looking at her suggestively… The way he used to slide his right hand through his mop of chocolate-colored hair. It was all coming back to her in a rush, hitting her violently as it did so. Was she still in love with him? With the ghost of him? She couldn't actually have gotten carried away with Juliette's immature and unrealistic hopes, could she?

Even in death, he managed to touch her without actually doing so, she realized. All the normality of her mediocre life vanished in an instant all because of him. Her ever sensible and good natured child was now loose on some highway God knows where without a valid driving license, exposed to all kinds of threats.

She had just finished packing and was about to leave her room when she was joined by her good friend Storm.

"Dear, I'm coming with you. You don't have to do this on your own again. " The white-haired woman declared.

"Thanks, Ororo. But I really have to do this alone, sugar." She assured her friend. She knew just how guilty Storm felt for everything and not being able to accompany her that other time killed her. Back then, Rogue had trusted no one and ran away from the others in the middle of the night to go look for him. Curiously, just like Juliette had just done.

Ororo was broken hearted at the time, because she had been meaning to do the same and was going to suggest Rogue and her went back to Antarctica, but she never had the chance. What she really wanted was to prove Remy and herself that she was not an insensible creature and that she'd never forgotten what he did for her. However, unlike then, this time around, Storm could have peace of mind for Rogue wouldn't be doing it alone, she had Juliette and her own heart to follow.

"Do you think you are okay? I mean emotionally well to go there again?" She decided to press the matter further.

"Oh 'Ro, you of all people know just how I haven't been well in fifteen years. But I think that maybe this will give me some well deserved closure."

"Perhaps." Storm conceded.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you the way I did back there in the kitchen."

"It's okay. And I'm sorry for having triggered all this mess. It's just that, deep inside, I thought I owed him that. His daughter deserves to know the man her father was… even though, I didn't have the courage to tell her much more than his name… Rogue, whatever happens, you need to let it go and talk to her openly about him."

"I know." She whispered in embarrassment.

"Deep down, we know that the reason she's become so eager to find him is because we kept everything from her. She needs to know."

" Yeah, I also know that. I'll send her a message and arrange to meet her at the same bar he used to take me to when I was there. Well, gotta go now, Ororo, I have a plane to catch."

"Aren't you using the jet?"

"No, it would be like publishing my arrival in the paper. Besides, I want this to be as normal as possible. A one-woman mission. No X-Men involved. No X-Men resources. I'm leaving my uniform here. This has nothing to do with this institution."

"I guess you are right. Good luck, my friend. I guess I don't need to say you can count on us for anything you need." She paused, then reluctantly said. "If you do find him, tell him how sorry I am for everything."

Rogue threw a startled look at her before passing her by. What was wrong with everyone? Did she actually believe he could be alive too?

As hard as it was for her to admit it, she knew there was a tiny bit of hope inside her heart too.

X X X X

It was another regular night to him. Enjoying another pint of beer in his favorite local bar, he contemplated in his head the new assignment his father had given him. After moments thinking of it, he decided he was so sick of that. Trespassing properties, inappropriately acquiring information, evidence, jewels, works of art, whatever the hell it was, all that had gotten so old. The thrill of managing not to get caught had run out so long ago. All because he just didn't care. He didn't care what happened to him, nor if he was successful or not. A spiritless body, he just kept doing what he was told to, no questions asked, no emotions felt, no dreams to be dreamt. He took interest in the lives of others in the bar. Looking around, he saw loads of familiar faces whose life stories he knew from back to back. Just then, his old poker pals entered the place and joined him on his table. Life couldn't get any more meaningless and repetitive.

It was nine pm when she walked in the place. She double, triple, quadruple checked the address before going in. Her knees stubbornly trembled a bit. All the courage suddenly gone, she walked with small awkward steps, clumsily making her way to the counter. She felt as if she were naked in a stage, not knowing what to say with millions of people staring at her so self conscious she was. How in the world had she thought she could actually go around asking people questions when she was in front of someone who actually could give her some answers and could hardly open her mouth to order something to drink?

"Excuse me, sir. Can I get a coke with ice and lemon?"

"Coke, babe?" the man said with a chuckle and continued. "Sunny inside here now, is it?" She'd forgotten she still had her glasses on and night had fallen some time ago. She had probably blushed in all different shades of pink and red at his remark and, shyly, she took off her sunglasses. The man had her back to her, filling up her glass. When he turned around to hand her the glass, he couldn't help letting it fall to the ground.

"Remy! There's a girl here. You have to see this girl!" he shouted. She froze and couldn't bring herself to turn and look around.

"I didn't know you were now into baby sitting, Remy. Is she even legal? I had noticed that girl from the moment I stepped in. Great body, but far too young." The guy sitting across from him said.

He put his card down, and looked at the counter annoyed.

"What is it, Johnny? Do you really have to disturb me because of a girl? Do I look that desperate? No offense to you, _petite_." She was still staring at this Johnny guy wide-eyed.

"Remy, it's serious. Come here. The girl's got your eyes and now, she seems to be… in shock? Girl, say something. Are you okay?" She finally snapped out of it. Turning around, she caught sight of her father for the first time. He was not quite the way she imagined him to be. He was so handsome he looked like a Hollywood bad guy. Like Brad Pitt or George Clooney you could see he was forty-ish but he was so gorgeous you wouldn't care the few wrinkles which dared to mark his pretty face.

All background noise faded away at that moment, it was only him looking at her while she looked back at him. With a confused expression on his face, he stood up and approached her slowly. However, she just couldn't hold it back any longer so she ran to him, her long silky brown hair flowing as she did so. Abruptly, she threw her arms around him. Hiding her face on his chest, the young teenage girl sobbed heavily. Remy couldn't make sense of it all but felt strangely attached to this girl who had his eyes.

"What is it, _petite_? Why are you crying?" he asked while looking down at her and delicately trying to break free from her. All he wanted was to look at her face and understand her.

She looked up at him and said. "Mr. Le Beau, you are… you are… my father. I've wanted to meet you all my life… I… sometimes I… I thought my mom was really right and… " she mumbled some nonsense between her sobs that he couldn't understand. But he had listened enough. Father! How could it be? He stepped back and softly pushed her away for a second so that he would be able to look into her eyes.

"_Ma petite_, how old are you? Sixteen? Seventeen? I couldn't possibly have fathered you, because back then, I was in a relationship… an immaculate relationship."

"I know that." 'Oh did she know really? What an arrogant girl.' He thought. Just for sounding so sure when she obviously wasn't made him think she actually sounded like his daughter.

"You don't know anything. Back when you were being born to another father, I was in the most loving relationship ever, but it was not consummated. There's simply no way I could be your father. I know our eyes resemblance is striking, but I'm afraid I am not the father you so desperately seem to be looking for." He said feeling truly sorry for the girl.

"Dad! I now know all that!" She said funnily rolling her eyes. "But I'm not how old you think I am. I am fifteen and you guys did do it. I mean, here I am, proof enough!" At those words, he swallowed hard. He remembered quite well the few nights he'd had with the love of his life fifteen years ago. Could it be? What makes her so sure he's her 'dad'? No, this girl was clearly out of her mind. He cleared his throat and asked the question that would finally make it all clear.

"Who's your mother, _chére_?"

"Anna Marie, or did you call her Rogue as the others?" she said carelessly only to realize those words had a major impact on him. Oh Dear God! Her father had clearly not forgotten her beloved mother. His eyes shone with wetness of tears about to fall down his face. He enveloped the girl with his long arms, pulling her tightly to him. Locking her in a sweet embrace, he repeatedly kissed the top of her head tenderly, hot tears streaming down his face.

'My daughter. Our daughter.' He thought. 'How could she have kept this from him? Why did no one ever come to tell him he had a daughter?'

Noticing how fragile he'd become at the news, shaking and crying while hugging her, she said what she'd been meaning to tell him all her young life.

"Father, I didn't know you before, but I have always loved you."

Letting her go from their hug, he said. "What's your name, _ma belle fille_?"

"Juliette, dad. But I'll let you call me daughter." She said with a smile on her face.

A swirl of emotions took over him. So many things he wanted to ask her, so much to catch up on. They sat at a table in a more reserved corner of the bar. He had to know his daughter, to understand her, to get to know her personality traits, her likes and dislikes. He had missed it all, missed all her life. It made him mad to imagine all the things he missed, all things a father had to be there to see. Like her birth, her first words, her first steps, her first day at school, when she first realized she was a mutant.

After minutes of talk, he'd already found out about her powers. She was such a talkative and confident girl, he thought. Undeniably, she had done an amazing job bringing her up without him. Juliette was an adorable girl. A clever brilliant person, that he could tell just by the way she talked. And oh boy, the girl talked! In few minutes, she threw as much information at him as it was humanly possible. She told him about the other students of the institution, about her classes, her teachers whom she called aunts and uncles. He listened carefully. That was amazing! That person talking to him was his daughter. But then, one thing occurred to him.

"What about Rogue? Why haven't you told me anything about her?"

"Oww, it's just that there's not much to tell. One thing I'm sure you don't know is that she can control her powers now. Great, isn't it? She couldn't touch me until I was eight. Hummm what else? It's just that mom is so quiet and reserved. She's great to me, we talk about all those things I'm telling you, but it's just that she never talks about herself. It's like I'm the only reason she still lives, you know? It's kinda sad. It hurts me so much that there's something that gets her so depressed and there seems to be nothing I can do about it. That's why I don't talk much about her. Talking about what hurts us is pointless, don't you think? No one is going to solve our problems for us."

"Wow! You said it all. I'm exactly like that. I don't like to talk about my problems either."

"Is that why you haven't told me much about you, dad?"

Man, that girl was smart beyond her fifteen years of age. He didn't know how much the girl knew about what had happened. Apparently, not much. How much was it okay for him to tell her? Just then, Rogue entered the bar. Immersed as they were in their conversation, none of them realized it and Juliette had completely forgotten about her arrangement to meet her mother there.

As they were not anywhere to be seen at first glance, she went straight to the counter.

"Hey, sugar, have you seen a young girl here with red eyes?"

Johnny, the barman, instantly understood it and pointed to the direction where they were sitting before asking her.

"Are you Rogue?"

"How do you know?"

"Well, he cries out your name whenever he gets drunk."

What? Was this guy talking about him? She felt nauseated as if she were about to faint. Was he alive? Is he alive? Had Juliette's intuition been right all along? She walked in the direction the guy had told her. Her whole body was shaking. Then, she saw the red eyes looking at her. HIS red eyes.

"Remy?" she managed to say with trembling lips. He stood up, walked up to her and hugged her. She could feel her whole body melting in his arms. She couldn't resist his charm for a second. She thought she'd never see his pretty face in her life and decided she wouldn't waste another second. Besides, his lips looked as smooth and sweet as ever.

She looked up at him and at that instant he had what he always wished for. Yes, her eyes still sparkled when she looked at him. As their lips touched, she puckered hers slightly and closed her eyes. Whatever kept them apart for all those long years, it certainly had not been the lack of feelings for each other. Her kiss confirmed it. He was sure his 'chére' still loved him. Juliette watched the scene with a huge smile stamped on her face. Oh those two would have to be banned from grounding her for life after this one. 'All me! All me! They have found each other again because of me.' She thought smugly.

Even though, forgiveness had come in a sequence of loving kisses, they still had so much to say and explain to each other.

"Chére! So… we have a daughter." He said smiling at her.

"Yes, we do, sugar. But I thought you already knew that."

"How would I?"

"She told me she would tell you if you ever came to New Orleans."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Your wife, Bella Donna, who else?"

"Ex wife, chér. I can't believe she knew all along and never told me. I always knew she was a cruel woman, but not that cruel. How could anyone be that vengeful?"

The three of them sat at the table. She told them everything about how she looked for him. Anna Marie and Remy kept holding hands and looking adoringly at their daughter as they explained her all that happened. She finally knew everything that had been so well kept and hidden from her. Her dream had finally come true. Her heart was about to burst in joy.

"Dad, never mind this woman, Bella Donna. Hers were only fragile lies. In the end, those lies have tumbled down as fragile lies always do. What matters is that we are all together now and everything that has happened made us appreciate being a family much more."

X X X X

A year later.

"Hey Auntie 'Ro, I missed you!"

"Me too, child. You could come and visit more often. How's regular school working for you?"

"It's been fine. The weird thing is that guys are all over me, asking me on dates and stuff. It's even annoying! They say my eyes are sexy." She giggled. She couldn't be the daughter of anyone else, could she?

"So how's your mom?"

"She's still in there."

"How's your father?"

"He's there too. Sometimes he comes out to check on me. Come on, Auntie! They forget I'm sixteen, it's not like I can't wait for them here on my own…"

"So now you're not alone anymore, you've got my company. I'll wait here with you, ok? We might as well use this time we have to catch up. So tell me more about these guys from school."

Half and hour later, a happy Remy shows up holding a baby girl carefully in his arms.

"Juliette, meet your baby sister."

"Oh, she's so beautiful."

"Yeah, and you don't need to be jealous, ok? Remy here has love enough for all of his girls." He winked at her.

"Remy, congratulations. She's gorgeous. You guys are a family of amazingly beautiful people." Storm smiled at him.

"Thanks, Ororo. You're not leaving today, are you? Please stay with us for at least a day or two, won't you?"

"Of course I will. I want to help Rogue again with this cute little one."

"_Parfait!_ _Bon_, I'd better go back in there. The nurse will think I've stolen this cute baby here."

Storm and Juliette looked at each other and laughed.

'I couldn't ask for anything else. I have the greatest and happiest family ever.' Juliette thought to herself.

******!

Thanks everyone who have reviewed the story, favorited, story alerted it LOL You guys make my day! I hope you'll feel like reviewing the final chapter too and that all of you have enjoyed this short fic.

For those of you who read Into The Wild, I've just arrived from Amsterdam today and I promise I'll be updating it in a day or two.


End file.
